Cement, grout, or concrete placer



March 10, 1936. M. R. KIRBY CEMENT, GROUT, OR CONCRETE PLACER Filed Nov. '7, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 10, 1936. R K|RBY CEMENT, GROUT, 0R CONCRETE PLACER Filed Nov. 7, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVE/V TOR 4 Sheet-Sheet 3 z l/VVE/VTOR Q Z 276- w EaZsazz/fl'zfig flTTOEA/E) 3 m aw a Nm & v

M R KIRBY CEMENT, GROUT, .OR CONCRETE PLACER Filed Nov 7, 1934 arch 10, 1936.

CEMENT, GROUT, OR CONCRETE PLACER Filed Nov. 7, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Z67 ZZZ/i920 P6550222;

M. R. KIRBY 2,033,338

Patented Mar. 10, 1 936 STATES PTENT or-lcs CEMENT, GROUT, OR CONCRETE PLACER Application November 7, 1934, Serial No. 751,931

In Great Britain 19 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete. With such machines, generally termed concrete placers or concrete guns the material is intermittently drawn into a cylinder and ejected, by way of suitable piping, to the required position by means of compressed air, steam, or hydraulic or other power.

Heretofore considerable trouble has been encountered in connection with the valves controlling respectively the supply of material into the cylinder and the discharge} of the material from the cylinder; and, moreover, the construction of the machine has usually been such as to render adequate "cleaning difficult if not practically impossible.

According to the present invention the cylinder houses a plunger reciprocable for charging and discharging the material and is mounted for transverse movement so that it can be brought to register with either a supply orifice or a discharge orifice, or to a position in which it is clear of the supply and discharge orifices (or of any material hopper, discharge piping or othermeans with which such orifices communicate) in order to facilitate access to the interior of the material cylinder. To this end the material cylinder may be mounted for gyratory transverse movement about an axis parallel to or inclined at a small angle to the axis of the cylinder. Alternatively, the cylinder may be mounted for oscillation about an axis transverse to the axis of the cylinder.

The plunger may be connected for actuation with a piston reciprocable in a power cylinder by a pressure fluid, or may be actuable by mechanical means, such as crank-linkage means.

A machine according to the invention may have manually actuable means for efiecting transverse movement of the material cylinder. In the case of a machine wherein the plunger is actuable by a piston in a power cylinder, the admission of the pressure fluid to the appropriate end of the power cylinder may be automatically eiiected when the material cylinder is brought to register with the supply orifice or the discharge orifice.

As an alternative, 2, machine may have automatically actuable means for effecting the transverse movements of the material cylinder. When the plunger is actuable by a piston in a power cylinder, the machine may include means enabling the pressure fluid to effect the transverse movements of the material cylinder in sequence with the alternate displacements of November v13, 1933 the piston and plunger. In a machine having mechanical means for .actuating the plunger, additional mechanical means may be provided for automatically effecting the transverse movements of the cylinder :in sequence with the alternate displacements of the plunger.

By way of example, two constructional .forms of machines in accordance with the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in axial. section, of one constructional form,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same on a slightly larger scale,

Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of this form,

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are respectively a side elevation, a plan and an end elevation of the other constructional form,

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic representation (not to scale) of one modification of the machine disclosed in Figs. 1 to 3, and

Fig. 8 is a. diagrammatic representation (not to scale) of part of another modification of the machine shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

The various integers of the first constructional form are assembled on a base or framework 1. A material hopper 2 is arranged above one end of this base and its outlet is constituted by an elbow 3 opening vertically in a bracket 4 which also receives or constitutes a branch for discharge piping 5. The two openings in this bracket, namely, the supply orifice 6 and the discharge orifice I (see Fig. 2), are disposed side by side on an arc having its centre in the axis of a pin 8 extending from the bracket 4. At the other end of the base is an upstanding bearing bracket 9, the bearing being in alignment with the pin 8.

A material cylinder H) and a power cylinder H are secured together in line with a distance piece 12 therebetween, and a piston [3 in the power cylinder and a plunger It in the material cylinder are connected by a common rod l slidable in a stufiing box H5 at the inner end of the power cylinder and-accessible through apertures I! made in the distance piece. The opposite end of the power cylinder has secured thereto a journal pin I8 which is supported in the bearing l9 .in the bracket 9 at that end of the cylinder. The outer end of the material cylinder ID has secured to it a plate 20, having a single port 25 in register with the cylinder, the diameter of which is, as shown, equal to the diameters of the supply and discharge orifices, and rockable with the latter, this plate being apertured to receive the pin 8. The plate is secured by tie bolts 2| to lugs 22 projecting from the material cylinder 10. The unit comprised of the two cylinders I and Ii is journalled for rocking movement about the common axis of the pins 8 and I8 and, of course, the axis of the unit is inclined to the axis of the pins. The plate 20, which is subjected to wear in sliding across the bracket 4, may be readily renewed when necessary.

The plate 20 may be held up to the bracket 4 containing the outlet and delivery openings by means of a suitable washer, or other arrangement for taking axial thrust on the centre pin, and by means of rollers, or other suitable appliances, bearing upon a track formed on the outer edge of the plate.

Associated with the journal pin l8 and its bearing l9 are screw means 23 whereby the unit comprised of both cylinders may be urged forwardly to compensate for wear on the plate 29.

A suitably placed hand lever 24 enables the unit to be rocked to and fro about the pins 8 and I8 in order to bring the material cylinder I0 alternatively into register with the hopper outlet 3 and with the discharge piping branch 5.

In operation the unit is first rocked so that the material cylinder l0 registers with the hopper outlet 3 and the plate 20 blanks off the discharge piping branch 5. That is to say, the handle 24 is as shown in Fig. 3, turned to the position 240,, bringing theplate 25 to the position 250, and the port 25,. with the registering end of the cylinder ID, to the position 2517..

While in this position, motive fluidis admitted to the power cylinder H to displace the piston l3 and therefore the plunger 14 in the material cylinder to the right to the position shown in Fig. 1 so as to draw material from the hopper 2 into the material cylinder. Then the unit is rocked in the opposite direction, (i. e. counterclockwise, Fig. 3) to bring the port 25 with the material cylinder to register with the discharge piping branch 5 while the plate blanks off the hopper outlet 3, and at this stage motive fluid is admitted to the power cylinder H to displace its piston 13 and therefore the plunger [4 in the material cylinder to the left (Fig. l) to eject the material from the material cylinder into and through the discharge piping 5. When necessary the unit can be rocked to a third position for cleaning or other purposes. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that if the handle 24 is turned in a clockwise direction to the position 2427, the port 25 and the material cylinder in register therewith will be brought to a position wherein access to the interior of the cylinder is obstructed by the hopper 2. The handle 24 is therefore mounted in a socket 26 in the plate 20, and an alternative socket 21 is provided. The handle, when taken from the socket 26 and inserted in the socket 21, can be turned in a counter-clockwise direction to the position 240, bringing the port and the registering material cylinder to the position 250, where access can readily be had to the interior of the cylinder for cleaning it, or for another purpose, such as attending to the plunger [4.

In the constructional form shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the framework I supports, as above described, a material hopper 2 and a discharge piping branch 5 mounted in a bracket 4. The material cylinder is mounted at its end remote from the bracket 4 on a transverse pin 28 carried by a bracket 29. The bracket 4 presents an arcuate surface 30 concentric with the axis of the pin 28, and a plate 3|, mounted on the end of the cylinder l0, presents an arcuate surface cooperating with the surface 30 and interrupted by a single port in register with the interior of the cylinder H0.

The piston i4 is connected by a rod 32 to a crosshead 33, which in turn is connected by a pair of links 34 to a sleeve 35. The sleeve 35 is slidable on the exterior of the cylinder ID by means of a forked connecting rod 36 the inner end of which is journalled on a crank 31. The shaft 38 of this crank is supported in pedestal bearings 39 mounted on the framework I, and has secured to it a driving belt pulley 45.

There is also secured to the crank shaft 38 a face cam 4!, in the track 42 of which runs a pin '43 mounted on the upper end of a lever 44 which is pivoted at its lower end 45 to the framework I. The upper end of the lever 44 is connected by a link 46 to the lower end of a pair of depending levers 47 secured to a cross-shaft 48 which is mounted in pedestal bearings 49. A lever 50 is secured to and extends longitudinally from. the cross-shaft 48 and carries at its free end a pair of depending links 51 which are pivoted to the material cylinder in by a pin 52.

The supply orifice 8 opening into the hopper 2 through the bracket 4 is disposed, as shown in Fig. 6, with its centre above the centre of the discharge orifice 4 opening into the discharge piping 5, in the vertical plane through the axis of the cylinder IB' and both these orifices are, as shown, of the same diameter as said cylinder.

The operation of this constructional form is entirely automatic. When a counter-clockwise driving torque is applied to the pulley 48, the crank 31, acting through the connecting rod 36, pulls the sleeve 35 to the right along the cylinder Hi- Thereby the piston l4, through the intermediary of the links 34, cross-head 33 and rod 32, is moved to the right within the cylinder l0. Since during this stroke the pin 43 runs in the upper arcuate part of the cam track 42 the cylinder I0 is maintained by the linkage-lever system 4652 in register, as shown, with the supply orifice 6, so that a charge of material is drawn from the hopper 2 into the cylinder. As the crank passes over its outer dead-centre, that'is, while the piston i 4 is substantially at rest the pin 43 is switched inwards by the cam track 42 to its other arcuate part, which has a lesser radius. The link 46 is drawn to the right, and through the levers 41, 50 and the link 5| depresses the cylinder ill into register with the discharge orifice i. There it is maintained dur-' ing the outward stroke of the piston by the pin 43 running in the lesser-radiused arcuate part of the cam track 42, so that the charge of material in the cylinder is expressed into and through the discharge piping branch 5. On completion of the stroke, and again while the piston is substantially at rest, the switching of the pin 43 to the arcuate part of the cam track having the greater radius restores the several means to the position shown in Fig. A in. readiness for another cycle of operation.

It will be evident that in the machine shown in Figs. 4 to 6 it is only necessary to remove the pin 52 to enable the cylinder iii to be swung downwards clear of the bracket 4 to enable access to its interior for cleaning and other purposes. Alternatively, the cross shaft 48 may be disposed below the cylinder, with suitable rearrangement of the levers 47, and the links 5|, so that by removing the pin 52 the cylinder can be freed for lifting to an inclined position in which access to its interior is not obstructed by the hopper 2.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a modification of the machine described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, wherein the admission of pressure fluid to the appropriate end of the power cylinder II is effected automatically on the material cylinder being brought into register with either the discharge branch 5 or the inlet branch 3 by means of the handle 24. The cylinder H has pressure fluid ducts 53 and 54 extending respectively from its ends to a plate 55 which is in sliding contact with the front face of a pedestal 56, through which pass ducts terminating, at the face of the pedestal 56 which engages the plate 55, in a port 51 for the supply of pressure fluid and ports 58 and 59 for exhausting the pressure fluid after it has done its work on the piston l3. As will be seen from the figure, when the aligned power and material cylinders have been brought by means of the handle 24 to such position that the aperture 25 in the plate 20 registers with the discharge branch 5, the duct 53 is automatically brought into register with the pressure fluid supply port 51, so that the piston l 3 is pushed to the right to expel the charge of material from the material cylinder into the discharge piping. On the completion of the stroke, the aligned cylinders are swung by means of the handle 24 until the plate 26 assumes the position 2011, when its aperture 25 is in the position 250. where it registers with the inlet 3 from the hopper 2. As soon as this position is attained, the duct 53 registers with the exhaust port 58 and the duct 54 registers with the pressure fluid supply port 51, so that the piston I3 is driven to the left to draw a charge of material from the hopper 2 into the material cylinder l0, while the pressure fluid in the cylinder on the left-hand side of the piston I3 is expelled through the duct 53 into the exhaust port 58. It will be evident that this arrangement provides entirely automatic admission and exhaustion of the pressure fluid to and from the power cylinder with manual swinging of the aligned power and material cylinders.

The modification diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 8 affords automatic swinging of the power and material cylinders by means of the operating pressure fluid. This fluid is admitted to a chest 60, from which it is allowed to pass into one or other of two cylinders 6! and 62 by means of a slide valve 63. The slide valve 63 is actuated by a trip lever 64 pivoted to the piston rod l5 of the piston I3 in the power cylinder H, the nose 65 of the lever 64 engaging with one or other of stops 66 and 61 mounted on a rod 68 secured to the slide valve 63. In the cylinders 5| and 62 there are mounted pistons 69 and Ill secured to ,a common rod H which is articulated by any fluid from the chest can pass into the cylinder 6|. In this cylinder the fluid causes the piston 76 to move to the left, so that the rod H is caused to swing the power :and material cylinder assembly in such manner that the aperture 25 in the plate 20 registers with the outlet 3 from the hopper 2. The piston 69, of course, moves similarly in the cylinder 62. When the pistons 69 and ill have moved into the positions 69a and 10a the aperture 25 has been brought fully into register with the elbow 3,- and the pressure fluid can then pass by way of the cylinder 6! and. the duct 12 to the left-hand side of the piston I3 which it moves to the right to effect a charging stroke. The piston 69 having moved to the position 69a, has uncovered the port 14 in the cylinder 62, permitting the pressure fluid standing in the cylinder H on the right-hand side of the piston 13 to pass into an exhaust passage 15 in the steam chest 60.

When the piston 13 has completed the charging stroke the nose of the lever 64 engages the stop 6-! on the rod 68 and trips the slide valve 63 to cover the cylinder 6| and open the cylinder 62 to the pressure fluid chest 66. The pressure fluid thereupon acts on the piston 69 which is in the position 69a and urges it to the right until it attains the position shown in :full lines. The pressure fluid can then pass from the chest 60 by way of the cylinder 62 and through the duct 13 into the right-hand end of the cylinder II. By reason of the movement of the rod H with the piston 69 the aperture 25 in the plate 20 has been brought into register with the discharge orifice 5, so that the movement of the piston l3 to the left effects the discharge into the discharge piping ofthe material previously drawn into the material cylinder. At the same time, the piston 16 having resumed its position as shown in full lines, the port 16 is exposed and pressure fluid standing on the left-hand side of the piston I3 is exhausted by way of the duct 12 and the port 16 to the exhaust passage 15.

Various other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, two units, whether operated by pressure fluid or mechanically, may be disposed side by side and operated conjointly so that during the time the material cylinder of one unit is being charged, the material cylinder of the other unit is being discharged and vice versa; The invention is not limited even to a machine having two units.

I claim:-

1. A machine for feeding and placing material such as cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a cylinder which receives the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, means actuating the plunger, a material supply duct and a material discharge duct, the cylinder being mounted for transverse movement so that 'itcan be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct and is further mov able to a position in which it is clear of the said ducts and its interior is freely accessible for cleaning and other purposes.

2. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a cylinder which receives the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, means actuating the plunger, a material supply duct, and a material discharge .duct, the cylinder being mounted for gyratory the axis of the cylinder so that it can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct.

3. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a

cylinder which receives the material, a. plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, means actuating the plunger, a

material supply duct, and a material discharge duct, the cylinder being mounted for gyratory transverse movement about an axis inclined at a small angle to the axis of the cylinder, so that it can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct.

l. A machine for feeding and placing. cement,

grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a

cylinder open at one end to receive the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, means actuating the plunger, a material supply duct, and a material discharge duct, the cylinder being mounted for oscillation about an axis transverse to the axis of the cylinder so that its open end can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct, or to a position in which it is clear of said ducts to enable free access to the interior of the cylinder for cleaning and other purposes.

5. A machine for feeding and placing cement,

grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a

cylinder which receives the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, a power cylinder, a piston reciprocable in the power cylinder by pressure fluid,

' means connecting the piston and the plunger for simultaneous reciprocation, a material supply duct, and a material discharge duct, the material cylinder being mounted for gyratory transverse movement about an axis parallel to the axis of the material cylinder so that it can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct.

6. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a cylinder which receives the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, a power cylinder, a piston recipro cable by pressure fluid in the power cylinder, means rigidly connecting the power cylinder and the material cylinder in axial alignment, a common rod connecting the piston and the plunger, a material supply duct, and a material discharge duct, the cylinders being mounted for gyratory transverse movement about an axis inclined at a small angle to the axis of the cylinders so that the material cylinder can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct.

'7. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a cylinder open at one end to receive the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, a power cylinder, a piston reciprocable in the power cylinder by pressure fluid, means connecting the piston and the plunger for simultaneous reciprocation, a material supply duct, and a material discharge duct, the diameters of said ducts being substantially equal to the cylinder diameter, and the material cylinder being mounted for oscillation about an axis transverse to the axis of the material cylinder so that its open end can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct, or to a position in which it is clear of said transverse movement about an axis parallel. to

ducts to enable free access to the interior of the cylinder for cleaning and. other purposes.

8. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a cylinder which receives the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, a crank shaft having a crank, an articulated rod connecting the crank and the plunger, a drive wheel on the crank shaft, a material supply duct, a material discharge duct, means mounting the cylinder for oscillation about an axis transverse to the axis of the cylinder, and cam-linkage means for oscillating the cylinder to bring it to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct.

9. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a cylinder open at one end to receive the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, means actuating the plunger, a material supply duct and a material discharge duct, pivot means mounting the cylinder for transverse movement of its open end so that said end can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct, or to a position in which it is clear of said ducts to enable free access to the interior of the cylinder for cleaning and other purposes, and manually actuable means for effecting transverse movement of the cylinder.

10. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a cylinder which receives the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and. discharge the material, a power cylinder, a piston actuable in the power cylinder by a pressure fluid, means connecting the piston and the plunger for simultaneous reciprocation, a material supply duct, a material discharge duct, pivot'means mounting the material cylinder for gyratory movement about an axis parallel to the axis of the material cylinder so that it can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct, and manually actuable means eifecting transverse movements of the cylinder.

11. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a cylinder which receives the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, a power cylinder, a piston reciprocable by pressure fluid in the power cylinder,

means rigidly connecting the power cylinder and the material cylinder in axial alignment, a common rod connecting the piston and the plunger, a material supply duct, a material discharge duct, pivot means mounting the material cylinder and the power cylinder for oscillation about an axis transverse to the axis of the material cylinder so that the material cylinder can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct, manually actuable means for effecting transverse movements of the material cylinder, and means automatically controlling the admission of the pressure fluid to the appropriate end of the power cylinder when the material cylinder is brought to register with the supply duct or the discharge duct.

12. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a

cylinder'which receives the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, means actuating the plunger, a material supply duct, a material discharge duct, pivot means mounting the cylinder for transverse movement so that it can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct, and means automatically actuable in sequence with the plunger to effect transverse movement of the cylinder.

13. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a cylinder which receives the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to discharge the material, a crank shaft having a crank, linkage means connecting the crank and the plunger, a drive wheel on the crank shaft, a material supply duct, a material discharge duct, pivot means mounting the cylinder for gyratory transverse movement about an axis inclined at a small angle to the axis of the cylinder so that it can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct, cam means on the crank shaft, and linkage means engaging said cam means and articulated to the cylinder for effecting transverse movements of the cylinder.

14. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a cylinder which receives the material, a plunger actuable in the cylinder to discharge the material, a power cylinder, a piston actuable in the power cylinder by pressure fluid, means connecting the piston and the plunger for simultaneous reciprocation, a material supply duct, a material discharge duct, pivot means mounting the material cylinder for oscillation about an axis transverse to the axis of the material cylinder so that it can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct, and means automatically actuable by the pressure fluid in sequence with the alternate displacements of the piston and plunger for effectingconstitutes a supply duct, and a material disand discharge the material, means actuating the plunger, a material supply duct, and a discharge pipe the inlet end of which constitutes a discharge duct, the cylinder being mounted for transverse movement so that its open end can be brought to register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct, or to a position in which it is clear of said pipe and said ducts to enable free access to the interior of the cylinder for cleaning and other purposes.

1'7. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a material cylinder and a power cylinder in alignment, a plunger in the material cylinder and a piston in the power cylinder mounted on a common rod, a fixed bracket comprising a supply duct and a discharge duct, pivot means mounting the cylinders for rocking about an axis inclined to the common axis of the cylinders so that the material cylinder can register with either the supply duct or the discharge duct, and is further movable to a position in which its interior is freely accessible for cleaning or other purposes, manually operable means for effecting the rocking of the cylinders, and a substantially semi-circular plate removably secured to the end of the material cylinder with a single symmetrically disposed port in register with the cylinder and rockab-le with the cylinder, whereby when the cylinder is brought into register with the supply duct the discharge duct is blanked off by the plate and vice versa.

18. A machine according to claim 17 having means enabling adjustment of the pivot means along the rocking axis to compensate for wear.

19. A machine for feeding and placing cement, grout or concrete comprising, in combination, a material cylinder, 2. plunger actuable in the cylinder to charge and discharge the material, means actuating the plunger, pivot means mounting the cylinder for oscillation about an axis normal to the axis of the cylinder, a bracket presenting an arcuate surface concentric with said normal axis, a supply duct and a discharge duct traversing the bracket, a plate removably mounted on the free end of the cylinder having an arcuate surface cooperating with that of the bracket and having a port open to the cylinder, crank-linkage means for reciprocating the plunger in the cylinder, and cam-linkage means for bringing the cylinder into register alternately with the supply duct and the discharge duct during the charging and discharging strokes of the plunger respectively.

MATTHEW ROBSON KIRBY. 

